Whitney
by Lady Josephine
Summary: A fic about Whitney dealing with her relationship with her very distant cousin (NOT INCEST I TELL YOU!) and also a view of her life. (Considered completed)
1. Chapter One

Just some fun writing. Only Fergus and Fiona are my characters.  
  
Chapter One  
  
Bring It On: Whitney  
  
As I pushed the door to my bedroom open, I heard my sister Jamie crying in her bedroom next to mine. Despite the fact that I was dead-beat from the Nationals, my skin was shiny and grimy with grease, and my hair was in desperate need for a shampooing, I still went into her bedroom.  
  
"Jamie? What's the matter?" I asked. I love my sister Jamie. At fourteen years old she was really beginning to look like me. Olive-skinned, black-haired and almond-eyed. Even Courtney agreed that she would end up prettier than me. She would be a great cheerleader. Ever since I was fifteen and got accepted into the squad, I've trained her dutifully, repeating what I've learned and teaching her. It broke my heart just to see her cry.  
  
"I saw the Nationals on TV just now..." she managed between her sobs.  
  
Oh no, was she referring to our defeat? I always thought the Clovers were great. After all, we couldn't keep on winning.  
  
"Aw, Jamie--"  
  
"I really want to be on the squad, Whitney! I would've looked good in your uniforms," she wailed, tugging at my grimy skirt. I rolled my eyes in relief. Jamie can make the squad anytime, it was only that Missy could imitate a Romanian gymnast and that was probably what Torrance wanted. I could call for tryouts anytime. The Nationals were over and we might need more people on the squad for more difficult stunts.  
  
"Jamie, you WILL be on the squad. All I have to do is call Torrance to arrange for tryouts. You have Courtney and I to vote for you. Don't worry your pretty head, mei-mei," I stroked her hair. Jamie brightened up. She loved it when I call her mei-mei as it means little sister in Chinese.  
  
"Um, Whitney? Aunt Felicia called long-distance just now," she said after sniffing for a while. Aunt Felicia? Oh, that Aunt Felicia. She and that awful Fiona, her daughter. So what if they were from London? We are all Chinese, no matter what we say, how we dress and where we stay. My mother is from China but my father is American, so I'm a Chinese by heart and American by soul.  
  
"What did she want?"  
  
"She says Fiona will be coming to stay with us and finish high-school here! Isn't that such a nightmare?" Jamie grimaced. She knew the full horror of having Fiona Liu-ling Hamilton living here. All pig-tails and ties and stockings, bitchy and self-opinionated. Two years ago we went to London for our summer vacation and we had to endure her `coops of tea' and `bourgeois middle-closs behavior' to screaming point.  
  
"Oh my god! What happened?" I asked sarcastically. Jamie shrugged.  
  
"I think she broke up with her boyfriend."  
  
"Fiona has a boyfriend? Fiona?"  
  
We giggled, then Jamie added, "By the way, her brother Fergus will be staying with us too. Mom is so happy she almost hit the roof. Who's Fergus?"  
  
I didn't know who was this Fergus person at first, then I remembered something. "The last time we went to London he was at boarding school. I heard he's a dork." We snickered wickedly.  
  
"There's this story that Fergus managed to connect his school's water heating system to his personal computer. Fiona thinks her brother is a genius, but to me, he's just a pimply geek," I informed Jamie. Jamie gave me a mock horror look, then she said, "Um, by the way, you better go take a shower before zits start invading. I shudder when I think of your pores getting clogged with oil."  
  
Seeing that Jamie is consoled, I petted her and left the room for my beauty bath.  
  
I love my sister. 


	2. Chapter Two

Meet the rest of the Toros! Only Fergus and Fiona are my characters.  
  
Chapter Two  
  
Bring It On: Whitney  
  
The next morning as I sat down to my breakfast. Stretching my legs out under the counter, I dug my spoon leisurely into my cereal. It was just a nice lazy Sunday, the day after the Nationals, the day which I can relax my aching muscles.  
  
"Whitney, have I told you that your cousins Fiona and Fergus will be arriving this evening?" Mom said as she came into the kitchen.  
  
I dropped my spoon in shock.  
  
"Mom! What? Today? Fiona?" I gasped out incoherently. Mom gave me an apologetic look.  
  
"Your Aunt Felicia called and said that Fiona almost killed herself so the two of them were immediately sent here around midnight last night. I really need your help in preparing the guest room," Mom pleaded.  
  
I felt a little bad. Fiona must've been in a really bad patch now. Then I realized something. One guest room? That meant...  
  
"I think you should share your room with Fiona. That way you can keep an eye on your cousin, see that she doesn't try to suicide," Mom was saying as she dragged the vacuum cleaner out of the kitchen behind her.  
  
I abandoned my breakfast and followed Mom, protesting wildly, but Mom just ignored me with her inscrutable Chinese mien. She opened the door to the largest of the three guest rooms we had and began pulling back the white covers on the furniture. I reluctantly plugged the vacuum cleaner and started vacuuming away.  
  
"You know, Whitney, Fergus will be enrolling into college here to get a PhD in computer engineering before going to Harvard..." Mom blustered on as I vacuumed the blue carpet on the floor savagely.  
  
I cringed at the thought of pig-tailed Fiona sharing my room, criticizing the Toros, bitching about how grand her own private school in London is. I contemplated staying at Courtney's until the end of senior year. I decided to ignore Fiona until she decides to shut up.  
  
At the end of the day, after an endless round of phone calls to Courtney, Torrance, Darcy, Kasey and even Missy, I just decided to be nice.  
  
Whoa, tough job.  
  
At approximately five-thirty in the evening, a long black limousine drew up at the porch, nearly smashing into Mom's BMW and Dad's Benz. Jamie and I were told to "be nice and think nice" as we opened the front door to greet our London cousins. A uniformed chauffeur opened the door and a tall athletic twenty-year-old boy dressed like a twelve-year-old came out and helped the other girl out of the car.  
  
"Hello, you must be Whitney and you must be Jamie," the guy said to Jamie and me respectively. He smiled and blinked through his thick glasses.  
  
"Actually, I'm Whitney and she's Jamie," I corrected quickly as I helped to carry their baggage into our house. Then I noticed Fiona.  
  
Poor girl; she was a wreck. Her long black hair was hanging loose, her complexion was pale and sallow, her clothes mismatched. I felt a little guilty for being so pettish. Fiona was definitely going through love-shock. Fiona looked at me with unseeing eyes.  
  
"Um, welcome to San Diego," I mumbled as I stumbled into our hallway. Mom came running towards them and enveloped them with hugs and kisses. Jamie was carrying a box behind me and we exchanged glances.  
  
Not so good. 


	3. Chapter Three

Meet Fergus, a soon-to-be favorite with the girls but NOT with Whitney. Only Fergus and Fiona are my characters.  
  
Chapter Three  
  
Bring It On: Whitney  
  
Dinner was a disastrous affair. Although Mom and Dad tried to perk Fiona up, the only response they got was a distant nod. Fergus was quiet too, but he was also very polite, and very formal. Jamie and I exchanged glances.  
  
After dinner Fergus offered to do the dishes, so I handed him a towel and passed him the wet plates to dry. There was an awkward silence at first, then Fergus began to speak.  
  
"Um, Jamie--"  
  
"I'm Whitney!"  
  
"I'm sorry! I really didn't know. Fiona has always referred to you two as Jamie and Whitney. Fiona, she..."  
  
I kept silent and continued passing the plates.  
  
"Well, she met this boy at a party a few weeks ago. He's an Italian boy, I think his name is Rocco or something, and I've seen him before. I didn't think much of him, but Fiona she thinks he's `as handsome as the devil and twice as tempting'."  
  
I nearly dropped Mom's expensive Ming china plate. "Fiona said that? Fiona?"  
  
Fergus nodded gravely. "She went obsessed over this Rocco person. I thought, fine, Fiona's first boyfriend. I didn't really like him though, because he's from Hockley."  
  
"Hockley?"  
  
"The downtown London, where the punks and lower class live." Fergus frowned as he concentrated on drying the edges of the fine china saucer. "Then a few days ago, Rocco decided to call it quits. He actually called Fiona a boring, tight-arsed bitch, phoney and disgusting, pretending to be upper class when she acts like a madam of a thriving street-side whorehouse!" he nearly bent the silver teaspoon in his fingers.  
  
What a great description, I thought, it's really what Fiona is. But I just shut up.  
  
"Fiona tried to slit her wrist yesterday in the kitchen. I was looking for a snack when I saw her holding the knife against her wrist. So I knocked her out cold. Mother decided to send her here immediately, but I decided against. Fiona needs some sense into her. When she gained consciousness, I gave her some talking-to. She wasn't hard to convince. The forgiving part was over, but now the forgetting part has just begun."  
  
I unplugged the sink and dried my hands. I felt that I had to be nice to Fiona. Although she was a bitch, I am also quite a bitch too. But I am capable of being nice too. I shrugged carelessly at Fergus's words. I'm going to be a bitch with Fergus though. I doubt any cheerleader would even talk to a dork. Even Cliff Pantone, Torrance's new boyfriend, who may be a backdated punk, but he isn't a dork.  
  
Leaving Fergus to linger in the kitchen, I grabbed a bag of crisps and headed upstairs to my bedroom. Jamie was listening to my old Spice Girls CD in her room. I went into my own room to practice my splits.  
  
I looked at the new orange-colored dresser next to my own red dresser. It was bought in a hurry, just this morning. Fiona would stay with me until she was all right and could stay in a room by herself.  
  
I dropped into a split and stretched my waist up high. Then I ate a few crisps. Fiona entered the room, gave me fleeting glance, then looked away at the posters on my walls. I was sorely tempted to ignore her, but I decided to be nice.  
  
"Hey, Fiona. Have some," I held the bag out to her and smiled. Fiona looked at me warily before coming over. She reached into the bag and gave me a small uncertain smile. I continued doing my stretches. Fiona sat down and helped herself to more crisps. Then, as I pulled my taut leg to my forehead, she asked suddenly:  
  
"Doesn't that hurt?"  
  
Her first words of the day. It made me laugh uncontrollably with happiness. I had succeeded in being nice! 


	4. Chapter Four

It's back to school! Fiona meets the Rancho Carne gang while Whitney gets into trouble. Only Fergus and Fiona are my characters.  
  
Chapter Four  
  
Bring It On: Whitney  
  
"Are you sure?" Fiona said in her maddening accent. She pulled at the orange flowery top I lent her.  
  
"Quit wriggling before I burn your scalp," I yelled as I tonged Fiona's long hair into a mass of spirals. I pinned the top half of her hair into two sections and let the rest of her hair fall freely around her shoulders.  
  
Last night, Fiona told me that she wanted a complete change in her appearance. She didn't want to look like an English boarding-school lass. I nearly corrected her by saying that she looked like a spoiled little Eurasian mistress from 1920s Shanghai.  
  
Thirty minutes later, we were done. Fiona looked completely different. Gone were the schoolgirl plaits, button-down shirts and pleated skirts. Dressed in an orange halter, stretch black jeans, platform sandals and with a head full of cascading curls, Fiona looked just like me, only shorter and not as tanned.  
  
"Fiona? What happened to you?" Fergus exclaimed as we passed by him. He sounded as if Fiona had suddenly sprouted a horn from her head. Fiona turned her head slightly.  
  
"Whitney curled my hair. With tongs," she smiled a little.  
  
"Thongs?" Fergus's jaw nearly hit the floor.  
  
"They're tongs, a kind of heated hair curler for ringlets," I answered for Fiona. Although I didn't really feel like it, I slipped my arm around Fiona's. Fiona turned to look at my with surprise and suddenly smiled at me. I smiled back at her and we both flipped our hair at Fergus.  
  
~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~  
  
"Courtney, I want you to meet my cousin Fiona Hamilton. Fiona, this is my best friend Courtney," I said.  
  
"Whoa where'd you get such a name? Hamilton?" Courtney said good-naturedly as they shook hands. Fiona was still staring at Courtney's incredibly low-cut tee shirt. I guess she's still not used to skimpy clothes. I noticed she was pretty flat-chested for an eighteen-year-old.  
  
Missy and Torrance came up from behind us; Cliff was parking his beat-up Mustang. I spotted Kasey, Darcy and Carver alighting the yellow school bus.  
  
"Hey Whitney! Don't forget there's a Toros meeting after school!" Torrance said, not noticing Fiona. I suddenly had a brainwave.  
  
"Torrance, can I bring my cousin Fiona along too? She's new here and she's interested in trying out for the squad, but she wants to look around first," I lied, ignoring Fiona's indignant face.  
  
"Whit--" she began, but I gave her a sharp nudge. Torrance and Missy checked her out and they seemed optimistic.  
  
"Sure, just look around. I'm going to call for try-outs soon, to get ready for next year's Nationals and a new routine," she said, pausing for a while. We haven't got over the shock that Big Red had been stealing our routines from East Compton's Clovers. "Maybe Fiona and Jamie would like to join in."  
  
The bell rang for homeroom period, and we dispersed for lessons. But I had to bring Fiona to the Headmaster's Office for some administrative work.  
  
"Whitney! I'll have nothing to do with cheerleaders!" Fiona protested. "I'll never wear miniskirts and jump around shouting `Rah, rah, rah!' It degrades me!"  
  
"Shut up Fiona. Just come and look at us. I'm not telling you to join. Didn't you say you wanted to change yourself?" I checked my teeth out in my compact mirror.  
  
"But--" Fiona said before I pushed her into the Headmaster's door.  
  
~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~  
  
After the meeting, which was about the choreography for our new routine, I decided that we should walk home by ourselves. Fiona complained about the heat, but she still tagged along behind me.  
  
As we turned around the bend, I saw a couple of mean characters leaning against the wall. One of them had a shaved head and lots of tattoos and the other had multiple body piercings; both were heavily muscled. And they were staring at us.  
  
I wish I didn't wear my miniskirt today. The bald one came up to us cracking his knuckles with a lewd grin on his face.  
  
"Little Chinese dolls eh? Well, well, well, what have we got here, Ed?" he drawled. Both of us retreated one step. Ed the holey guy smirked.  
  
"Go away! Leave us alone!" I said loudly, but I was a little nervous. Fiona was holding my arm tightly.  
  
"Yeah! Leave them alone!" a voice behind us said. I turned around. Fergus!  
  
Fergus?  
  
"Dork! Mind your own business!" Ed sneered. He came towards me with a lewd grin.  
  
"YAH!" Fergus yelled, and Ed screamed. I was stunned for a while, then I realized that Fergus had given him a hard chop on Ed's arm.  
  
"You @#$%^&*! I'm gonna break that Chinese neck of yours," the baldy pounced onto Fergus. Fergus flipped him over easily and rained a torrent of punches on the unfortunate punk.  
  
After what seemed like a hundred blows, Fergus released the punks.  
  
"Don't you ever let me catch you getting fresh with my sisters!" he threatened. Ed and the baldy fled sobbing. I heaved a sigh of relief. Fiona relaxed. But Fergus turned to us with a displeased expression.  
  
"Don't dress indecently," he said before walking off.  
  
What? I dress like this everyday. What gives him the right to scold me?  
  
Hmph. 


	5. Chapter Five

Yay! This is the fifth part! Whitney discovers a tiny spark of r-r-r-romance! Only Fiona and Fergus are my characters.  
  
Chapter Five  
  
Bring It On: Whitney  
  
"Bring it on,  
  
Bring it strong!  
  
Bring the Toros spirit  
  
Before it's gone!  
  
Bring it, bring it, bring it  
  
Bring it on  
  
Bring it on  
  
Before it's gone!"  
  
Fiona recited suddenly while we were lying in bed that night. I sat up abruptly.  
  
"That was brilliant, Fiona? Where did you get that cheer from?" I asked sincerely. Fiona shrugged casually.  
  
"I was thinking about it during dinner," she replied. "I like writing poetry, and cheers are pretty like poetry if you put in some rhythm."  
  
"You're talented, Fiona! You should be on the squad," I shook her. She broke free of my grasp.  
  
"I'll never have anything to do with cheerleaders. I'll just write your cheers and be the yell marshal but I'll never shake my butt. I can't even do a split!" Fiona shook me violently in return. We ended up shaking each other until we ended on a heap on the ground.  
  
"Fergus, he's pretty surprising today," I managed to say after we recovered from the giggles.  
  
"Oh, the martial arts? He's already a black belt in wushu," Fiona answered. Wushu is the correct term for kung fu. "He started training since he was eight. I think he's better than Jackie Chan."  
  
There she goes again. How I hate the prissy, prudish Fergus.  
  
But then, before I drifted to sleep, Fergus's face flashed behind my eyelids.  
  
~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~  
  
In a twinkling, two weeks have passed. Fiona had switched from being a pain in the ass into a really great friend. She immediately became a favorite among the Toros once she had stopped being such a bitch. Jamie, on the other hand, was getting on famously with Fergus. She had begun to spend more time on the computer that Dad got for the both of us and less time practicing for the tryouts.  
  
"Jamie! Get off that computer! Tryouts are due next week and you're still typing god-knows-what?" I once snapped at her.  
  
"But I'm not on the squad. I don't think I want to be on the squad anymore. I wanna join the Cybernetics Club now," Jamie replied, her eyes glued to the screen and her nimble fingers tap-tap-tapping away.  
  
In a fit of rage, I flicked the computer off. Jamie started wailing about not having saved her program.  
  
"If you're so clever you can do it all over again, can't you? I'm disappointed in you!" I screeched at Jamie, who looked fit to kill. I stormed out of the house and began kicking the maddening rose bushes in the backyard.  
  
"Cool off, Whitney. Jamie doesn't want to be a cheerleader anymore, so you have to stop pressurizing her," Fergus said as he sat on the lawn furniture sucking on a Popsicle. I suddenly had an urge to inflict pain onto that despicable piece of brain.  
  
I pounced on him, delivering two swift punches across his face, knocking his glasses aside, before he managed to restrain me.  
  
"You leech! Jamie and I had a great relationship before you had to come and ruin it all. Jamie would've been a great cheerleader but now you put geek-bullshit in her brain. You made us yell at each other and now what? The Cybernetics Club?" I shrieked as I struggled to release myself from Fergus' tight grip. "Let me go, you dork-head!"  
  
Fergus was glaring at me, flushed and frowning, his too-long hair tousled, his eyes devoid of his glasses. His eyes were a light brown in color, and his chiseled cheekbones were taut and firm, very un-Asiatic. I winced as his strong fingers dug into my arms.  
  
Fergus' angry façade disappeared. His hard eyes softened and he loosened his grip. I blushed; my heart was fluttering. I suddenly felt embarrassed, shy. I turned on my heel and fled into the house.  
  
Jamie was busy typing again, but now she wasn't so gung-ho. She ignored me when I went up to her. Her silence cut into my heart. Suddenly I felt tears springing from my eyes.  
  
"Oh, Jamie! I'm so sorry! I guess it's just because I always wanted you to be just like me," I cried as I hugged my sister. Jamie stiffened at first, then she hugged me back too. I think we looked like two demented sobbing loons. I was aware of Fergus' presence at the doorway, watching us. I looked up and met his uncertain gaze, looked straight through his nerd glasses and into his eyes.  
  
I had a sudden childish impulse to stick my tongue out at him.  
  
~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~  
  
"Whitney! Whitney, wait for me!" Fergus yelled at me as I was leaving the house that night to go to Courtney's house for a one-on-one chat-session. He stumbled across the potted palms with some kind of odd gracefulness.  
  
"Yeah what?" I snapped impatiently.  
  
"I'll drive you there," was all he said as he stepped out of the house and into Dad's Benz.  
  
Considering Courtney's house was two streets away and Ed and Baldy might still be lurking around, I said nothing and got into the car. I was wearing a red tee shirt and a pair of denim cut offs, since the nights were getting warmer.  
  
"I'm sorry Whitney," Fergus said after a minute of awkward silence. I looked out of the window. "I shouldn't have butted in this afternoon."  
  
He stopped the car in the middle of the street and looked at me. I had no choice but to look at him. His eyes were serious, calm, yet I could see his veins pulsating beneath his skin. I blinked a few times.  
  
"I like you, Whitney," he confessed with restraint. Then he turned back to the wheel abruptly and started driving, looking straight ahead and frowning. I studied his profile mutely, letting his words sink in slowly.  
  
He wasn't a dork at all. Fergus, he was handsome. Very handsome. His longish hair was thrown back in a careless fashion and his glasses were sliding down his strong nose. The corner of his lips was twitching. His lips...Whitney Dow! Why are you thinking of your dorky, geeky computernik cousin? And Fergus Liu-long Hamilton at that! I turned away quickly.  
  
All too soon, we reached Courtney's house. Fergus was still staring ahead at the interesting road, so I just slammed the door close and fled without a backward glance.  
  
Fergus... 


	6. Chapter Six

Ah, but will the sultry and headstrong Whitney admit that she actually likes Fergus? Only Fergus and Fiona are my characters.  
  
Chapter Six  
  
Bring It On: Whitney  
  
Jamie went for the tryouts in the end, but she also went for the Cybernetics Club entrance test too. She got into both the squad and the geek-club. Courtney was flabbergasted at Jamie's choice, but Missy and Darcy both agreed that it was a "fine idea".  
  
"And today there was this lesson on soda constructing..." Jamie was saying excitedly to Fergus, who was growing cuter painful day by painful day. I was lying on the couch, totally exhausted after a busy day, still in my shorts and tank I wore for cheer practice. Fiona was invited into the squad as a yell marshal and cheer-writer.  
  
As I lay there, the cool balmy breeze blowing in, with Jamie's and Fergus' droning voice in the background along with Fiona's piano playing, I felt my eyelids drooping. I sighed, feeling my tired legs sinking into the soft cushion, and dozed off...  
  
...............  
  
"Whitney..."  
  
I fluttered through the heavy layers of sleep, stretching out. I blinked a couple of times before looking straight into the most beautiful brown eyes I've ever seen. "Fergus!" I sat upright. It was nearly ten at night and my stomach was growling.  
  
"Whitney, you're flushed," he said. I was pushing myself off the couch, feeling a little lightheaded and drowsy. The air seemed to be stifling. I mumbled something about taking a shower before taking some food, but Fergus put his smooth brown hand on my forehead.  
  
"You're ill!" he exclaimed before I slumped against his shoulder. My knees were quivering and my eyelids seemed to weigh a ton. I felt a glass pushed into my parched lips and cool water met my tongue. I drank the water, feeling temporary coolness before the heat sprang to life again. I felt myself being lifted by a pair of strong arms, my head against a broad chest.  
  
"Fiona! Open the door, Whitney's half-conscious!" Fergus yelled as I lay limply in his arms, vaguely wondering what the commotion was about. I heard Fiona shriek, then I was lowered onto my bed. Merciful coolness touched my face as somebody sponged me with cool water.  
  
"I'm okay, I'm just a little tired," I remember saying before blackness swamped my vision.  
  
~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~  
  
"Go Whitney! Go Whitney!" the crowd chanted. I stood poised under the spotlight, ready to begin my solo routine. I counted under my breath. In three seconds, the music will started, and the crowd will go wild.  
  
Three...two...one...  
  
Silence.  
  
Puzzled, I looked around the auditorium. Nobody. The crowd had vanished into thin air.  
  
"Whitney." Fergus.  
  
Before I had time to reply, he grabbed me in a tight embrace, his strong, beautiful lips capturing mine in a deep passionate kiss. I literally melted. For what seemed like ages, we stood there under the spotlight in the empty auditorium, lips fused as one.  
  
Magic.  
  
We broke free, staring into each other's eyes, not saying anything for minutes.  
  
"I like you, Whitney," Fergus whispered.  
  
"I...I..."  
  
He's a dork. A geek. A boring computer nerd that made your sister one of his kind. A little voice suddenly said in my mind. I tried to ignore it, but it kept repeating.  
  
"I...I..." I said out loud, before screaming hysterically as the little voice grew so loud it enveloped me entirely.  
  
~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~  
  
"Whitney! Wake up!" Jamie was screaming as she shook me violently. I was still screaming. Fiona was also shaking me, nearly in hysterics. I sat bold upright, drenched in sweat, my hair in tangles. I was shuddering and my teeth was chattering.  
  
"What happened!" I squeaked. Jamie and Fiona slumped back down onto the bed in relief. Then Fiona sat up again and felt my forehead gingerly.  
  
"She's okay!" Fiona cried. Then she said, "Whitney, you were sleeping for two days. The doc said you were just over exhausted and needed some time out." Jamie nodded vigorously.  
  
"The best thing you need now is a nice bubble bath," Jamie said as she bounded off my bed and into the bathroom. I heard the sound of water running.  
  
"What's the time now," I said as I dropped back onto my bed. Fiona fumbled about and brought my clock right up to my nose. 2:00 AM. I groaned.  
  
Suddenly my door was flung open and Fergus walked in, still in his grubby jeans and two days of stubble. His hair was a mess and he looked like he pulled two all-nighters in a row.  
  
He stumbled into my armchair, putting one hand over his face. "Are you okay Whitney?" he said. "I was typing my dissertation." Fiona bounded over to him and shoved him.  
  
"No boys allowed," she yelled, pushing him. But he was already asleep on my chair. I shrugged and went into the bathroom to take my bath. Let him sleep there. I'll just sleep in the guestroom, since he was so kind as to carry me to my room.  
  
The water was refreshing as I splashed around in the tub. I washed my hair thoroughly and put a facial mask on my face. I lay back and enjoyed myself soaking. I wriggled my toes in the warm water.  
  
When I decided that it was enough, I got out of the tub and dried off. I put on white silk pajamas and got out of the bathroom. Fergus was still lying blissfully across my flowered chair, looking so angelic as he slept.  
  
I went over to cover his bare chest with my duvet. As I leaned over to tuck him in, he put his arms around me sleepily and hugged my to his chest. I felt warm and secure, then I quickly pushed his arms away. He's a dork, that stupid little voice was saying to me.  
  
Meanwhile, Fergus snuggled into the duvet like a baby. 


	7. Chapter Seven

Oh no, what has happened to Fiona? Only Fergus and Fiona are my characters.  
  
Chapter Seven  
  
Bring It On: Whitney  
  
The first thing I heard when I woke up next morning was Fiona yelling into her mobile phone. I rubbed my eyes and sat up, wondering why I wasn't in my bed and on the couch in the den. Then I remembered that Fergus had invaded my bedroom and Fiona and I had to migrate. So we ended up eating leftover popcorn and watching midnight soaps in the den.  
  
"Rocco Colona! It's over between us. You called me a bitch first and I shall never, ever forgive you!" she screamed before dashing her phone on the ground and stomping on it. Then she sat down in a cloud of tears and began howling. Mom flew into the den with a scared expression.  
  
"Fiona! What has happened?" she cried as she ran to Fiona's side. Fiona was rolling around on the ground and I thought it was pretty amusing and very immature of her, since she was eighteen years old and a cheerleader.  
  
"R-Rocco! He says that...that he wants me t-to go back to L-London. That he misses me and wants me b-back!" she said between anguished sobs. "What a cad! I'll never t-take him back. Then he-he says t-that he will f-find me and bring me b-back to London!"  
  
I agreed with her. This Rocco was certainly a cad. Then she began screaming, "HE IS NOW IN SAN DIEGO!!!"  
  
Now what?  
  
~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~  
  
"Fiona, this plan is so wrong. Look, orange lipstick doesn't go with your skin," I protested as I pulled my hair into a high ponytail. Fiona was heavily made-up and she was wearing the worst clothes Ginger Spice would ever wear. Orange sequins and pink tinsel!  
  
"When Rocco sees me dressed so cheap he wouldn't want me anymore," Fiona said as she fluffed out her curls. I frowned; something was nagging me. Fiona's plan has some kind of loophole but I just couldn't place my finger on it.  
  
Then it hit me. Fergus said Rocco was a downtown boy living in Hockley. And Fiona had us dressed like whores. Wouldn't that be what Rocco wanted? I said to Fiona.  
  
Fiona put the hairbrush down. "You're right! Now what? He says he'll be waiting at the mall at eight and it's seven-thirty now," she turned to stare at me.  
  
"Dress like you used to. Shirts and long skirts, plaits and the most bitchiest, most self-opinionated expression and attitude. I'll join you too," I replied, pulled out a couple of vile preppy shirts from Fiona's dresser.  
  
Fifteen minutes later, two of the nerdiest girls in the planet stood before the mirror.  
  
~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~  
  
"There he is, that black haired one. Okay Fergus, you can stop the car here," Fiona whispered as she looked out of the window. We got out of the car. I prayed that I wouldn't meet anyone from Rancho Carne.  
  
"Rocco Colona! Fancy meeting you here!" Fiona said to the really cute boy with a really sarcastic and accented voice. Rocco scowled and grabbed Fiona's arm.  
  
"Ritornato con me a Londra," he said angrily. Fiona pulled her arm away from him and turned to me with the best bitch-face I have ever seen.  
  
"Really, what are you saying?" she asked in a mocking voice. Rocco's face turned dark as a thundercloud.  
  
"Do not lie to me, Fiona. Ritornato with me to London. I shall not abuse you again," his voice was raised by several decibels. Fiona ignored what he said.  
  
"Did you beg for your airfare ticket? Sell your body?" she mocked, laughing like a hyena, laughing carelessly. Rocco's face turned dark with humiliation and hatred. He pulled a thin gold chain out of his shirt and yanked it off. Grabbing Fiona's hand, he put the chain into her palm. All the anger drained from his face and was replaced with disappointment and infinite sadness.  
  
"Mai non cambierete," he whispered before walking away to a waiting pizza truck. Fiona was silent and she was staring at the chain. Although I did not understand much Italian, I knew what he meant.  
  
You shall never change.  
  
Fiona cried all the way home. 


	8. Chapter Eight

When siblings get TOO close... Only Fergus and Fiona are my characters.  
  
Chapter Eight  
  
Bring It On: Whitney  
  
I decided to let Fiona have my room while I slept in the living room, but I removed all potentially dangerous stuff just in case. Fiona had been staring at the trinket Rocco had given her the whole time, not responding to any question.  
  
When I went into the living room carrying my pillows and duvet under my arm, Fergus was pacing around angrily and impatiently. I ignored him and fluffed my pillows out on the couch. Fergus sat down on the armchair, then stood up abruptly again.  
  
When his pacing got too much to bear, I snapped, "Will you please stop that and sit down?"  
  
Fergus sat down immediately, but he began fiddling with the ornaments on the side table, making irritating clinking sounds as glass met glass. I went under covers and clapped my hands over my ears, but the clinking become banging and finally I could bear the sounds no longer. I threw the duvet off and flung one pillow at Fergus.  
  
"It's not like Rocco abused Fiona or anything. If you ask me, it's all Fiona's fault! Rocco is a perfectly fine gentleman but it was Fiona who bullied him with all her bitchiness. Rocco loves her, geddit? But Fiona was s--"  
  
SLAP!  
  
The sound of the slap reverberated through the house. I brought my hand to my stinging cheek, glaring fiercely at Fergus. I tasted blood on the inside of my mouth. There was a stomping sound coming from upstairs, and Fiona ran down the stairs with a horrified expression.  
  
"You idiot!" she shrieked as she kicked Fergus vehemently. "It was my fault! I bullied Rocco, made him into a person he wasn't. That was why he called me a bitch. You stinking fool, why did you hit Whitney! Oh Whitney!"  
  
I felt tears of humiliation and rage sliding down my cheeks. I gave Fergus a dirty look and dived under the covers. Then I emerged, grabbed a Kleenex and spat out the blood accumulating. Fergus' look of rage turned into one of horror.  
  
"Oh my god! Honestly, I didn't mean to--I was--" Fergus was saying incoherently as he grabbed my hands. I pulled my hands away and hid under the covers. I was hurt, hurt down to my bones. No one, NO ONE had ever hit me this way before.  
  
Meanwhile Fiona was still screeching at Fergus, calling him worse names I had ever heard. I closed my eyes and tried to ignore the ballyhoo going on.  
  
I hate Fergus.  
  
~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~  
  
We were in luck, because Dad suddenly had a business call and both of them, Mom and Dad, had to go to Hong Kong in the middle of the night. When I woke up, I found a note on the coffee table:  
  
"Dearest Kids, (kids!)  
  
We have to go to Hong Kong, as there seems to be some hitch in the legal proceedings of ABC Inc. (Both of them are lawyers) and we need to be there immediately. Stay put for five days, and don't go wild. We have trust in you.  
  
Love,  
  
Mom and Dad"  
  
I put the note down and got up from the couch. My face feels swollen. When I stood up, my foot brushed against something warm. I looked down. Fergus! Lying fast asleep on the floor. I remembered the slap he gave and walked away.  
  
I inspected my face in the bathroom mirror. It didn't look as bad as I anticipated. There were little bruises were his fingers were; those could be easily covered with make-up. I soothed the still-burning skin with some cool water.  
  
When I opened the door, Fergus was leaning against the frame, looking so recklessly handsome, too indecently handsome for a geek. I gave him a hurt look and tried to squeeze past him, but he blocked most of the way. He held me around the shoulders and forced me to look at him.  
  
"I'm sorry, Whitney. I shouldn't have slapped you. It was just because I can't stand Fiona being degraded. Fiona's my little sister. But I'm sorry, Whitney. I didn't mean to hurt you. I felt so low, so despicably low last night. I hate myself!" he cried, suddenly pulling me to his chest tightly. "I really like you, Whitney, and it just kills me when you give me that look!"  
  
"Fergus, you're hurting me! Let me go!" I struggled involuntarily against his strong embrace. Part of me wanted him to hold me, another part of me wanted to kill him. But Fergus just held me tightly. I gave in finally and we just stood there, hugging each other, bathed in the morning sunlight.  
  
It was until the phone rang when we returned to Earth and I quickly fled the kitchen bathroom.  
  
~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~  
  
"Hey Whitney!" Oh, it was Torrance.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Just wanted to remind you about the Toros demo tomorrow night."  
  
"There is? How come I wasn't informed?"  
  
"I think it was the time when you were ill when we decided to hold the demo. Are you up to it?" her voice was full of concern. Good thing Torrance was our new captain and not that Big Red.  
  
"Yeah! What routine will we be doing?"  
  
"Oh, it's the Nationals routine. Remember, it'll be at eight in the auditorium. And bring your pompoms too because we may be doing some of our, I mean, some of the Clover's, ah, modified cheers."  
  
"Sure thing. Bye Torrance," I replied, thinking about Isis and Jenelope.  
  
"Remind Jamie and Fiona too. Have a great weekend! Bye!" Click.  
  
I felt excited. A proper performance again! I hastened to tell the good news to Fiona and Jamie, who were equally enthusiastic.  
  
Bring it on! 


	9. Chapter Nine

When Fergus meets the girls…the Green-Eyed Monster rears its ugly head! Only Fergus and Fiona are my characters.  
  
Chapter Nine  
  
Bring It On: Whitney  
  
"Have I ever told you how cute you girls look in those uniforms?" Fergus commented as he drove us over to school. I snorted, a rather unladylike sound. Fiona was pulling the midriff top lower to cover her bare tummy and Jamie was literally shooting sparks of joy in being able to finally wear the Toros uniform.  
  
"I feel drafty," Fiona groaned as she wrapped her arms around her waist. She leaned her head against the car window and began reciting to no one in particular, "I'm sexy, I'm cute, I'm popular to boot…"  
  
"Jamie do you remember the routine? You'd be taking Kasey's place since you're the youngest and lightest now," I turned to Jamie, who was still admiring the miniskirt.  
  
"Uh-huh. You've practically drilled me everyday, how could I forget?" she said, still tracing the letters RCH on her top. Fergus threw a cardigan at Fiona, who was still going on and on with the cheers plastered in her mind. A beat-up Mustang drew up side by side with Dad's Benz.  
  
"Whitney! Jamie!" Torrance yelled from the passenger seat. Missy was lying in the backseat on a heap of red and black pompoms. Cliff was driving and the car was blasting some weird punk-rock song about someone dancing on the bed. We waved wildly at each other.  
  
A red convertible appeared behind us with its top down. Courtney, Kasey and Darcy were shouting our cheers in the backseat while Jan and Les sat in front. It was a happy party as we drove into the school car park where Rancho Carne students were milling about, screaming as we made our entrance.  
  
"Go Toros! Go Toros!" they chanted as we got out of our cars and ran into the auditorium waving our pompoms. Missy executed a couple of amazing flips in the air, making the crowd go wild.  
  
I surveyed the audience as they sat on the bleachers. There's Big Red and Aaron! And who's that with them? Fergus! I remembered that Fergus is studying at L.A. State University with them. He was looking at Fiona jumping around and shouting while vainly trying to cover her exposed tummy with an amused expression. Then he turned and our eyes met. I gave him a small smile and he flashed a thumbs-up sign.  
  
"Ready girls?" Torrance yelled, smiling her best cheer smile. Fiona gave me a pained expression. For dance routines she wasn't spared, but Torrance was kind enough to give her simple stunts. Courtney gave her a friendly shove towards her position as we all took our places at the ends of the auditorium.  
  
The music started, its up-beat and catchy tempo had us shaking our bodies in sync as we did our flips and round-offs. The crowd went wild as we displayed stunts, pyramids and splits. Then I saw her.  
  
She was a black-haired Hispanic girl whom we recognized as the captain of another cheer team, the Cantonment Cats.  
  
I think Torrance and the rest saw her too. But what shocked all of us was that she was holding a camcorder in her hand and filming our routines. Torrance's smile had faded slightly, and Courtney had her famous what-a- bitch look. Missy's face darkened like a thundercloud. Then Torrance said to us, but not too loud so the audience would hear, "Heck, if she's filming our routine we'd better look good!"  
  
So we flashed our beautiful smiles right at the girl, who had the cheek to smile back at us! Courtney, unable to bear it any longer, jumped down from Jan's shoulders and stomped over to the girl. The music and cheering stopped as everybody craned their necks to look. Courtney snatched the camcorder out of the surprised girl's hands.  
  
"So…Cat girl. Think it's funny that you can copy our routines huh?" she asked, while whipping the tape out in one swift motion. The girl had paled visibly. Courtney flung the tape on the ground, causing it to crack and break.  
  
"Well, there goes. Next time, do your own routines. No way you can go to next year's Nationals with OUR routine," she added, her sharp voice echoing through the auditorium. The audience began to murmur, then the murmur became a loud jeer. The poor girl muttered an apology and fled the auditorium.  
  
"So guys, what do you think? Let's bring it on!" Courtney yelled to the crowd. We burst into screams and cheers.  
  
~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~  
  
"This is my brother Fergus," Fiona waved her arm at Fergus. Torrance, Missy, Courtney, Kasey, Darcy and Carver checked him out and smiled warmly.  
  
"Hi Fergus, I'm Torrance Shipman and I'm the captain of the Toros!"  
  
"Yo it's Missy Pantone, great to see you."  
  
"Hi! I'm Big Bad Carver!"  
  
The girls swarmed over him, and Fergus blushed, unaccustomed to so many cheerleaders surrounding him. I stood at a distance, watching them, while an unfamiliar feeling crept into my heart.  
  
Jealousy?  
  
I realized that I felt a sour twinge as I watched the Toros together with Fergus. But then I told myself, Fergus is a dork. Why should I be jealous over him? Cheerleaders don't go with geeks.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me how hot Fergus was?" Courtney whispered to me. I snorted. Fergus, hot? I mean, what kind of cheerleader would go for a guy with thick glasses and a mouthful of silver?  
  
Fergus suddenly turned towards me and gave me an uncomfortable look. I guess he isn't used to having cheerleaders surround him. I gave him a small, reassuring smile.  
  
Why did I smile at all? 


	10. Chapter Ten

Whitney and Fergus have a heart-to-heart talk under the stars. Expect some r-r-romance! Only Fergus and Fiona are my characters.  
  
Chapter Ten  
  
Bring It On: Whitney  
  
"Um, uh-huh. Yeah. Um, okay. Okay, bye."  
  
Fergus put the phone down on the cradle delicately. I sat watching the David Letterman Show eating a banana, but actually I was listening to Fergus talk to Kasey, which was mostly ums and uh-huhs and yeahs.  
  
"So you have a date with Kasey," I remarked. Fergus blushed and smiled sheepishly.  
  
"Actually, I turned her down. She was, um, a little too jumpy," he replied, still looking at the phone. I felt a strange wave of emotion wash over me. Relief, anxiety, anticipation and a little hesitation.  
  
I flicked the television off. Dare I do it? Of course, Whitney! You're Rancho Carne's co-vixen, along with Courtney. "I'm going outside for some fresh air. Would you like to join me?" I asked, somehow afraid of his answer.  
  
Fergus turned red all the way to the tips of his ears. He was actually shocked to receive an invitation from me! "Err, yeah. I think that's a fine idea," he replied, visibly pleased. I went out into the backyard and sat on the swing. It was a cool, starry night. Fergus came from behind me and started pushing the swing. We just stayed like that for a few silent minutes.  
  
"Beautiful night, isn't it?" Fergus commented.  
  
"Yeah," I replied, hypnotized.  
  
"My mother and your mother are distant cousins. Isn't it ironic that they turned out to be best friends?"  
  
"When I first met Aunt Felicia, I always felt that she was a real pompous lady."  
  
"I agree."  
  
"You do?"  
  
"She doesn't like the fact that she's Chinese. I think it's a benefit. I'm proud of my Chinese heritage. Don't you know that our great grandfather was a Minister in the Imperial Court?"  
  
"No, I didn't bother to research."  
  
"Maybe you should. It's really interesting."  
  
We remained silent for a while before I decided to break the silence.  
  
"Are you and Fiona very close?"  
  
"Very-very-very close. She's as close to me as you are as close to Jamie."  
  
"I think Fiona and Rocco should be together. They love each other, even if both of them are too proud to admit it."  
  
"Screw Rocco. He hurt my sister."  
  
"But Fiona hurt him more. I could tell it from Rocco's eyes. The kind of look that said, 'Kill me or torture me, I shall always be beside you.' Seriously."  
  
"What are you, Dear Abby? Maybe you're right," he said thoughtfully, holding the swing close to him. That meant I was tightly against his chest. We turned to look at each other at the precise same moment, our lips just two inches from each other. We stared into each other's eyes, mesmerized by the magic of the moment. Then a car zoomed by, breaking the spell. We looked away, and Fergus continued swinging me.  
  
"Is Big Red in any relation to the Toros?"  
  
"Of course, she was captain before Torrance and boy, was she the meanest one ever. She put the itch in bitch and she was the one who stole our cheers from the Clovers, even if she'd never admit it in a million years."  
  
"Big Red has nice boobs."  
  
"You? Fergus?" I was so surprised that I fell off the swing and landed on him. We fell onto the ground, me atop him. He was laughing.  
  
"I was just kidding! I was just kidding!" he choked. Suddenly, I felt his arms around me. He looked into my eyes seriously, and spoke slowly, pronouncing each word clearly.  
  
"You are the most beautiful girl I've ever seen, with the nicest boobs."  
  
I was melting at the first few words, then turned indignant at the last word. Just as I was about to protest, he rolled over and captured my lips with his, smothering whatever comment I had.  
  
I tingled from head to toe. Magic. 


End file.
